Badges Earned:

Get a Drivers License in Minnesota

First-time drivers of any age must pass a road test to land a Minnesota drivers license. To get a provisional license, you must be at least
16 years old and have held a valid instruction permit for either:

6 months―Teens 18 years old and younger

19 years old―Applicants 19 years old and older

Getting a moving violation or alcohol/controlled substance violation will postpone the time it take to get a provisional license.

A) Make a Road Test Appointment at a MN DPS Office

You must schedule an appointment to take a road test either
online or by calling (651) 284-1234.

Current proof of insurance for your road test vehicle* (original ID card or policy; Internet copies will not suffice)

*You must provide a road test vehicle that is in safe working condition. Make sure it has current vehicle registration (license plates and stickers) and displays a
21-day permit.

Teens must also have their parent, court appointed guardian, county appointed foster parent or the director of your transitional living program where you reside must sign and approve your application and certify you completed
50 hours of driving practice including 15 hours at night. If your guardian or parent takes the parent awareness class, about 90 minutes of instruction, then you are only required to have 40 hours of practice driving.

B) Take the Road Test

With your required documents and fees in hand, head to your appointment early.

Road Test Retakes

If you don’t pass the road test, you have the option to retest. If you fail a second consecutive time, the state will charge you an additional fee to try and pass it a third time.

Get Your Minnesota Driver's License

Provisional License

Once you meet all GDL requirements and pass the road test, you’ll receive a provisional license. It comes with the following limitations:

For the first 6 months of licensure, you can only transport
1 passenger, under 20 years old, unless a parent or guardian accompanies you. This rule doesn't apply if this young passenger is a member of your immediate family. During this period, you also may not drive from midnight to 5 a.m. unless you are:

Accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old

Driving between home and work

Driving between home and a school event if your school doesn’t offer transportation

Driving for employment purposes

During the second period of 6 months, you may not have more than
3 passengers under 20 years old, riding with you, unless you are accompanied by a parent or guardian (or unless they are members of your immediate family).

After
12 consecutive months, you can upgrade to a Class D license if you have no violations on your record.

Class D Drivers License

To get your full Class D license, you must be at last
18 years old or have held a provisional license for at least 12 consecutive months. During this period, provisional license holders must have no convictions for alcohol violations, controlled-substance violations or crash-related moving violations, and have had no more than 1 conviction for a moving violation that is not crash related.

Teens must also certify that you’ve practiced driving with a supervising licensed driver who is at least
21 years old years old for a minimum of 10 hours.

Your license will be marked “under-21,” and expire on your
21st birthday.